Woman confronts accused kidnapper in Vermont court

Michael Jokinen was then granted parole.

RUTLAND, Vt. (AP) — A man who was sentenced to four years in prison for keeping a woman captive in his home has been granted parole following an emotional hearing where his victim confronted him.

Rutland resident Michael Jokinen pleaded guilty to unlawful restraint in 2016 as part of a plea deal that dismissed a felony kidnapping charge. The Rutland Herald reports Jokinen was accused of imprisoning a 17-year-old girl he met online for four years in the home he shared with his mother.

The victim was in court Monday to testify against Jokinen’s parole, recounting her escape from Jokinen in 2014. The 37-year-old man was granted parole Monday on conditions he is not allowed in the New York county where the woman now lives.